How life has changed in Ceredigion

Ceredigion's population increased by about 1,000 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population reached nearly 76,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Ceredigion increased by 1.3%, from just over 74,900 to 75,900.

The addition of almost 1,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of Wales (up 5.5% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Ceredigion was home to, on average, 0.31 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This made it Wales' second-least densely-populated district.

Population density was lower than the average across Wales

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Wales, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Ceredigion

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Ceredigion increased by two years, from 40 to 42 years.

This area had a higher average age than Canterbury (one of the most statistically similar areas to Ceredigion based on ONS area classifications) (39 years of age) and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across Wales (41 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 2,200 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 2,000.

About 14.0% of people in Ceredigion are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fall in proportion of Welsh speakers

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Ceredigion fell from 51.8% to 47.3% in the 10 years leading up to Census 2011.

This was the second-largest decline in the proportion of Welsh speakers of any local authority area in the country. Of the few areas where knowledge of the Welsh language increased, Monmouthshire saw the largest change (from 9.0% to 9.9%).

There are 2,808 fewer people living in Ceredigion who spoke Welsh compared with 2001, while the number of people who did not spoke Welsh increased by 3,771.

In Carmarthenshire (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Ceredigion), 43.9% of people over the age of three could speak some Welsh, down from 50.1% at the 2001 census. Across Wales, the proportion fell from 20.5% to 19.0%.

The proportion of people who could speak Welsh was higher than across Wales

Percentage of people aged three and over that said they could speak Welsh across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Religion in Ceredigion

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Ceredigion was among those who said they had no religion, rising 12.3 points.

In 2011, 33.7% of respondents in Ceredigion gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 21.5% of those who answered in 2001.

Across Wales, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 20.2% to 34.7%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Ceredigion, 63.5% said they were Christian, compared with 76.9% in 2001. About 1.1% said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, compared with 0.7% a decade prior.

In Ceredigion, 8.8% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 8.0% in 2001. Across Wales, 7.6% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 8.1% in 2001.

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as differing patterns of ageing or of moving to or from an area for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population that said they had no religion in Ceredigion increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in Wales, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

More students

Ceredigion saw Wales' largest rise in the proportion of students.

During this period, Ceredigion overtook Cardiff to become the Wales local authority area with the highest percentage of students.

In 2011, just under 1 in 16 (6.2%) people aged 16 to 74 in Ceredigion said they were in education, compared with 3.9% in 2001. The percentage that were employed increased from 36.1% to 37.9%.

Gwynedd saw Wales' next largest rise in the proportion of students (from 2.5% to 4.2%).

The percentage of students in Ceredigion increased by 2.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Wales that said they were in education, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

Ceredigion saw Wales' largest rise in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week.

Every local authority area across Wales saw a rise in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week, as the regional average grew from 1.7% to 3.0%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 25 (4.5%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Ceredigion said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.7% in 2001. The percentage that worked over 49 hours in a week decreased from 15.8% to 12.3%.

Swansea saw Wales' next largest rise in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week (from 2.1% to 3.6%).

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Ceredigion increased by 1.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Wales that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple increased in Ceredigion, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Wales.

During this period, Ceredigion fell below to become the Wales local authority area with the sixth-lowest percentage of cohabiting households.

In 2011, just over 1 in 11 (9.1%) households in Ceredigion had an unmarried couple, compared with 7.9% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising just one person increased from 30.2% to 33.1%.

Blaenau Gwent saw Wales' next largest rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple (from 7.1% to 10.4%).

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple was lower than across Wales

Percentage of households that had an unmarried couple across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health fell in Ceredigion, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Wales, except Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across Wales saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 12.5% to 7.6%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 16 (6.3%) in Ceredigion said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 10.1% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 67.0% to 79.3%.

Wales' largest increase in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad occurred in Monmouthshire (from 9.5% to 5.9%) followed by Cardiff (from 10.2% to 6.4%).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Ceredigion decreased by 3.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Wales said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Ceredigion

The percentage of Ceredigion residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 6.6% to 6.9% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 3.8%, while the percentage of Ceredigion residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 89.6% to 88.7%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability grew at the third fastest rate of all local authority districts across Wales. The improvement brought health in Ceredigion close to the regional average 6.9% in Wales described their health as good in 2011).

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across Wales

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

More single people in Ceredigion

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Ceredigion, but at a slower rate than in statistically similar Canterbury.

In Ceredigion, the proportion of single people increased from 33.9% in 2001 to 38.7% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in statistically similar Canterbury increased from 31.6% to 38.6%.

Across Wales, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 28.1% to 33.5%.

The proportion of married people in Ceredigion fell from 47.7% to 43.0%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 9.3% to 10.4%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across Wales

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Ceredigion that rented privately increased from 15.7% to 19.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 10 (10.1%) households lived in social housing, compared with 12.0% in 2001. The percentage of Ceredigion households that owned their home decreased from 69.8% to 67.6%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to nearby Carmarthenshire (which remained close 11.8%). Across Wales, the proportion increased from 8.6% to 14.1%.

Private renting in Ceredigion increased by 4.2 percentage points

Percentage of households in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Wales that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

More homes without children

The percentage of households in Ceredigion without children increased from 66.4% to 68.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just under one in four (22.8%) households had at least one dependent child, compared with 24.9% in 2001. The percentage of households in Ceredigion with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 8.7%.

The proportion of households without children increased faster here than in nearby Carmarthenshire (which remained close 61.6%). Across Wales, the proportion increased from 59.5% to 61.2%.

The proportion of households without children was higher than across Wales

Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Change in unpaid care

The percentage of Ceredigion residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.2% to 1.5% between the last two censuses.

The percentage who reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 2.6%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to nearby Carmarthenshire (which remained close 1.9%). Across Wales, the proportion increased from 1.5% to 1.8%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in Ceredigion remained close to 1.5%

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion by care, March 2001 and March 2011

↑ Back to the top

Area report data

Related links